1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to a panel of material for covering the opening of a cargo area of a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an enclosure made of a mesh, screen, or net-like material, such as is typically used in tent door panels, for covering the opening of the cargo area of a vehicle, such as a utility vehicle, a station wagon, a van, or a minivan, for instance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sport utility vehicles and minivans have become increasingly popular in recent years. These vehicles are especially useful and desired because of their versatility. Particularly, the open cargo area towards the rear of these vehicles are highly useful for a wide variety of purposes.
One of the particular advantages of sport utility vehicles, minivans, full-size vans, and station wagons are their usefulness for recreational purposes. For instance, these types of vehicles are highly useful for vacationing, for going on picnics, and for camping. Many times, the cargo area of vehicles of this type are used on such vacations or camping trips, or merely at a rest stop on a long voyage, as a place to lie down, stretch, or simply relax. Furthermore, these cargo areas are known to be used on camping trips as a place for sleeping. Additionally, the cargo area of such vehicles are often used as a place to set out food-stuffs, such as for instance, on a camping trip or at a picnic. Such uses have resulted in the development of a number of tent-like structures for attaching onto a parked vehicle at its cargo door. However, these devices tend to be large and bulky when not in use and cumbersome and time consuming to erect and take down.
Additionally, one of the primary drawbacks of using the cargo area of the vehicles as just described is that, in order to prevent the cargo area from becoming stuffy when resting therein, the windows of the vehicle must likely remain open. However, this invites bugs into the vehicle, making the rest highly unenjoyable. Moreover, when the cargo area is used to store or present food, attracted bugs are particularly troublesome.
Accordingly, the need exists for a device for placing over the opening of the cargo area of vehicles such as sport utility vehicles, vans, minivans, station wagons, and even campers and camper shells on pickup trucks, which, while permitting air to enter the cargo area, prevents bugs and other undesirable things such as for instance leaves or perhaps larger animals, from entering the vehicle. The present invention provides such a device and fills the foregoing and other needs.